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People say “phase” like impermanence means insignificance. Show me a permanent state of the self.

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Esoteric Empathy Rant

Probably a lot of you have seen @edhellenarn‘s post about esoteric empathy and the necessity of empaths staying in their own lane, so to speak.

I wanted to just make a separate post to add a bit of my own thoughts. Suffice to say, I agree with most of what the OP is saying, but there is more that can be said, as well, concerning the modern “empath” identity trend as it has developed over the years.

The main problem I have with a lot of folks who self-identify as empaths is, well… they seem to lack empathy, and will often minimize other people’s trauma and/or attempt to invalidate the perspectives and experiences of others. 

By “lack empathy,” I mean that they usually are very preoccupied by the alleged “suffering” their “gift” causes them, unwilling to listen to possible solutions, and generally turn things into a pity Olympics, especially on social media sites like Facebook.

I had one lady in a group go on at length about how her empathy was so strong that she couldn’t leave her house, even to take out the garbage, because the pain others caused her was so great, despite all the crystals she’d gotten to help her ground herself.

When I suggested maybe she should consider cognitive behavioral therapy in lieu (or in addition) to the crystals and try to get herself to a better place, she made a separate post implying that I was an “inauthentic” person and a “psychic vampire” trying to feed off of her by having the gall to suggest she might need someone to talk to like that.

It’s weird because I wasn’t sealioning or anything - I genuinely thought my comments might be helpful. I mean, I have certain empathic abilities myself and CBT really helped me cut through a lot of stuff in order to hone them and become a better friend to those I care about.

Oh yes, “psychic vampires,” the favorite topic of the empath world. That and “narcissists,” even though most of these people know fuck-all about psychology or what NPD even is. 

I was in one group on Facebook for a while, just for empaths, and almost every single post was someone going on about all the evil narcissists in their life.

Oh, their spouse is a narcissist! And it turns out their boss is, too, and the mailman, and oh, they need to buy six more crystals to counteract this horrible assault.

I never tried it, but I’m pretty sure if I’d brought up that NPD is an actual mental illness (not some magic energy suck woo thing, either), I’d have been banned and probably declared to be a narcissist/vampire myself.

That seems to be the favorite tactic of a lot of the more toxic in the New Age psychic/empath community - “Anyone who questions me is a narcissist and therefore evil.”

I��ll be honest, I don’t actually know that much about NPD, but I’m pretty damn sure a personality disorder doesn’t make someone a reprobate evil energy sucker or whatever. 

I mean, sure, if someone in your life is acting toxic, you can and shoot evade them, regardless of whether they have a mental illness or not but… c’mon. 

I don’t believe it when these folks claim every single person they disagree with, dislike, or interact with unfavorably is a “narcissist.” I mean, really, plenty of people with or without mental illness can be abusive; no reason to turn a personality disorder into some big bad woo bogeyman.

 If anyone reading this knows a bit more about NPD, I’d love to get a perspective on this, because, like I said, my experience with personality disorders is limited and I’m no psychologist.

And plus, the whole thing just reeks of “spectral evidence” in a witch trial.

It’s basically, “Some people are evil, but I can tell they’re evil and warn people! Even if nobody else knows!” It’s pretty easy for someone who’s set themselves up as psychic to target their enemies by claiming to “sense” something that nobody else can prove.

On that note, some of the most cringeworthy moments I’ve seen have involved the “empath” identity folks trying to talk about mental illness. As I said, they seem to see NPD (and sometimes, any personality disorder) as some kind of evil woo-woo thing. To me? That’s asinine, completely.

When it comes to mood disorders like I have, they tend to write them off as “misdiagnosed empathy.” In fact, a lot of sites and blogs around the internet (less so on Tumblr) will whine about the evils of psychiatry and how it’s just an attempt to suppress the magical empath gift.

The thing is, none of the people saying this seem to understand what (for example) bipolar disorder actually is. 

They seem to think it’s just moodiness or feeling sad sometimes. It’s kind of impossible to explain to them the realities of mania and depression because most people will never experience them.

And, if you use a bit of logic, you can easily see why (in most cases) bipolar disorder wouldn’t be “misdiagnosed empathy.” The mood states you see in bipolar are, by definition, neuroatypical.

They aren’t seen “in the wild,” in neurotypicals. It’d be impossible to experience a mania empathically from being around a bunch of regular people because regular people do not experience mania.

I guess that maybe if you’re an extremely strong empath and constantly around someone with bipolar, you might deal with blowback from their moods, but I doubt it because I don’t think most people’s neurology is even conducive to having those experiences. I’m no neurologist, though, and I could be wrong.

So yeah, I get tired of people telling me I just need to “ground, center, and shield” like a good lil empath, and how my meds are “dampening” my “gift.” I usually just change the subject whenever it comes up because it’s easier than explaining how mania and depression actually work.

I mean, if anything, those experiences seem to make me (might not be true for everyone) less able to read other’s emotions, because the low self-esteem that came with my depression just caused me to assume the whole world hated me.

So yeah. I think the “empath identified” community is in dire need of cleaning itself out a bit and reformulating how it approaches this kind of thing.

On Tumblr, there are many genuine people and many genuine empaths, and you barely see any of this kind of thing on here. Still, I’ve seen enough of it out in the world that I thought it was worth posting/ranting about.

At this point, I rarely dare even call myself an empath (even though I definitely have an esoteric empathy “thing” going on, particularly with animals) just because I don’t want to be associated with this.

That doesn’t mean the concept is irredeemable, though - there’s been a lot of good books written recently about empathy, managing and honing it.

I recommend almost all the works of Raven Digitalis on the subject (Everyday Empath and Esoteric Empathy), and, heck, a lot of “mundane” books on CBT and even DBT can help with improving your functioning and best using your gifts.

I hope this post isn’t too offensive to everyone - I just wanted to get this off my chest, since I’d been pondering it for a while.

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Let the obsessive research begin!

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Full Moon in Capricorn

Date: July 16th, 2019

Additional Events: Partial Lunar Eclipse; a Lunar Eclipse occurring on a Full Moon pertains to symbolic death and rebirth, huge changes, letting go of attachments, and facing dark or negative emotions.

Affects: setbacks, awareness of public image, feeling more confident and self-assured, control or lack thereof in parts of your life, discipline, heavy responsibilities, body aches, cynical or apathetic moods, financial changes, skin breakouts, major focus on knees, joints, and the lower back, family and authority figures are highlighted, confrontation, need for structure and improvement, feeling the need to work harder, feeling pressure to pursue tasks and goals, anxiety and fear relating to self-worth, work, education, and reputation, maturity being tested

What It’s Good For: establishing boundaries, making important changes in your work or career, learning about self-discipline and responsibility, mending issues with family and authority, taking control of your life, clearing clutter, organizing, making plans and important decisions, planning ahead for major changes, making appointments, receiving check ups, reflecting on what your setbacks and restrictions mean for you, observing your blockages and how to overcome them, grounding and meditation

Crystals: amethyst, onyx, smokey quartz, fluorite, malachite, tiger’s eye

Herbs: rosemary, chamomile, thyme, dill

Incense / Oils: peppermint, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood

Colors: dark green, black, grey, purple, navy blue

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“WTF just happened?” Spread

This spread was crafted after my mental health went to the gutter and I didn’t see it coming, but can be used in any situation that just happened and left you wondering what the heck did you just lived trought, and you can’t be as objective as you would like to understand it from your own point of you… so get your cards out! 

you don’t own a deck? may i present you the Fool’s dog Tarot Sampler? it’s great

Anynway, onto the spread

1) The Episode in question: outburst, breakdown, fight, discussion, etc, that just happened and you don’t seem to understand why it did.

2) The Trigger: what broke the camels back, that little water drop that made the hole cup upside down. Here’s the main reason. If it involves another person, you may also add another card to understand what from this person made you loose your cool, but mainly that the two is why YOU reacted.

3) The Baggage: all the emotional charge that was hidding behind the cool mask, probably neglected to the point of breaking. You may add another card to see wich Shadow aspect of your self is putting presure on your “conscious” self.

4-6 are the How Can I work this shit besides getting profesional help ofc (a max of 3 cards per pile on this one, my  suggestion), but if you want to be a bit more direct, you can say that 

4) what can you do about the trigger so it doesn’t catch you unware again - how can this be worked?

5) what the episode is trying to teach you (so it doesn’t happen like that again)

6) what can you do about those emotions? how to work them, wich way can you healthy express them. 

Additions: what can be avoided + helpfull people in your life + your support + what you already worked on that comes back to remind you that you have come a long road and you got this shit + healthy copying methods 

-Seff

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keep your eye on the sky this july ⛯ (2019)

july 2nd – new moon & first total solar eclipse of the year (total visibility will be in the south pacific) – associations + eclipse spells + new moon spells

july 8th – first quarter moon! + spells

july 9th – saturn and its moons at their brightest of this year! – associations

july 16th  – full moon, the “buck” or “thunder moon” – associations + full moon spells

july 16-17th – partial lunar eclipse, visible worldwide –  associations + eclipse spells

july 29th  – Delta Aquarids meteor shower - make some wishes!

july 23rd – last quarter moon + spells

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“Walk Unafraid”

Take this sigil and burn it to ashes. Take those ashes and sprinkle them in your or somebody else’s shoes.

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Spirit Work, Psychology, And The Mind In Darkness

In 2010, Italian psychologist Giovanni Caputo published his eerie findings in the journal Perception. He called it the “Strange-Face-In-The-Mirror Illusion,” where his setup could guarantee that people observe startling, supernatural imagery. All he needed was a dimly lit room and a mirror.

Within minutes, people looking into the mirror would watch their own faces distort, into deceased love ones, archetypal creatures, or disturbing disfigurements. You can read an article about the study here.

Why does this happen? According to Caputo, our brains are hardwired to perceive faces. It’s the same reason we see shapes in clouds or trees. Because the mind can’t register dark spaces, it fills in the space with information. That causes people to see shapes and figures in the shadows.

This is also why creepy pasta rituals such as The Three Kings have yielded “results.” What people believe to be spirits are actually the brain’s misrepresentation of the darkness.

This begs the question,

How can I tell if what I’m seeing is a spirit or a trick of the mind?

That’s what I’m going to talk about here.

Note: I will not discuss sleep paralysis in this post. That’s a different topic altogether.

There seems to be a common misconception about spirit work that sightings are a one-chance deal: you see a spirit once, and it’ll never appear again. That isn’t true in most cases. Sightings and experiences can be repeated, under different circumstances, at different times of the day. Sure, spirits are harder to perceive because they aren’t often tangible. But they can be perceived if you know what to look for.

First, let’s review what needs to occur for the shadow you see to be a trick of the mind. If you’re in a space with dim lighting, your mind will likely trick you. If you’re tired, or just woken up, your mind will likely trick you. If you add a candle to the darkness, you’re at an even higher disadvantage because the movement will alert your mind into fight or flight. Which leads me to the final point: If you’re afraid, your mind will likely trick you.

Spirits don’t only appear under these conditions. If you observe a spirit, you’ll still perceive it if:

you’re feeling calm.

it’s in the light.

no other outside source can create a trick (such as a light on outside).

you’re fully conscious, and emotionally stable.

the spirit responds to commands or motions.

you’re able to contact the spirit again in a different situation.

the spirit has the same tone, voice, personality and movements as in the first sighting.

the spirit has mentioned something that you didn’t know, but turns out to be true (such as a future event).

There are many more examples, but those should give you an idea. 

Let’s say, for instance, that you perceive a spirit in the middle of the night, in dim lighting, while feeling afraid and/or tired. This fits all the criteria for a common psychological phenomenon. In that case, doubt your experience. Never be afraid to doubt spirit work or a magical technique.

Let’s say that your experience meets the above criteria, but your gut is telling you that it was more than a trick of the mind. In that case, test it. Try to contact the spirit again other different circumstances. Use divination. Ask others for their opinion. Analyze the situation, and try to encounter the spirit again.

I hope this gives you a better insight into spirit work and determining whether or not that spirit is real. Feel free to comment or ask any questions!

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Rituals and offerings in commemoration of the birth of Aphrodite by the group OFION - Ieropraktikós Kýklos , photos by Giannis Antoniou

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I legitimately don’t understand how people believe they know what’s going on. How can you trust something that is by definition not provable? How can someone trust their perspective enough to say “yes this was definitely a spirit and not an extension of my imagination”? How the fuck do people sit down and believe in something?????

Even if some can’t do that there are still points where most, if not all, would have some kind of “this is definitely 100% something outside of me and is not a coincidence”. I would give most anything to legitimately trust what I hope may be happening. That there is something and it’s not all in my head.

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Planetary Retrograde Keywords 🔃

Mercury - communication breakdown, technological and electrical failure, failed travel plans, lost items, careful and strategic planning, resurfaced personal relationships, deviated plans

Venus - lack of affection, separation, romantic tension, conflict, lack of creativity and artistic ability, infertility, resurfaced romantic relationships, self image issues

Mars - stasis, impulsivity, lack of passion, lack of motivation, personal defense, confrontation

Jupiter - introspection, personal development, reflection

Saturn - relief, reflection, personal improvement 

Uranus - awakening, forming realistic goals

Neptune - realization, existential purpose 

Pluto - subconscious reflection, forceful changes, elimination, letting go

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capricorn exists in the shadows of the moon’s detriment. it can produce the tendency of being unwilling to recognise or acknowledge the inner experience as being valid and worthy of being nurtured. they program the emotions that could make one vulnerable or exposed as a child to suppress in silence, and it can take arduous internal work to rewire these as an adult. at the same time, this inner child becomes paralysed and there are rarely comforting memories that can be returned to when one has grown up

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What the signs have in their pockets right now:

Aries: Entrails

Taurus: Deep fried car keys.

Gemini: Hatred.

Cancer: More pockets.

Leo: A smaller version of themselves.

Virgo: A nest of robins.

Libra: Extra hands.

Scorpio: Smartphone (stolen)

Ophiuchus: Hypodermic needle full of poison.

Sagittarius: Pea soup.

Capricorn: Night.

Aquarius: The global system of roads.

Pisces: Angry snake and a diet cola.

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so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god